Learning about youth sports injuries

|
September 14, 2013
| Updated: September 17, 2013 12:36pm

Concussions get a lot of attention as a common sports injury, but Dr. Jorge Gomez, a sports medicine specialist at Texas Children's Hospital, says many of the injuries he sees in his practice are due to overuse of joints and muscles.

Here are a few ways parents can help their kids stay healthy while playing sports.

Common sports injuries in kids include overuse knee sprains, ankle sprains, knee growth plate problems due to overuse and even back injuries in younger kids, Dr. Jorge Gomez tells the Chronicle.

Photo By Getty

Shoulder and elbow problems can also crop up for kids who repetitively throw balls.

Photo By Getty

Overuse injuries are even possible for elementary kids, in any sport that uses repetitive activity, Gomez said.

Photo By Getty

One thing to keep an eye on: Pain lasting longer than a week is not normal. "It shouldn't hurt to play sports," Gomez said.

Photo By Getty

Kids should not be allowed to play sports year-round, Gomez says. "It makes no sense for someone to do the same thing over and over again, year round, without a break. That's when we start seeing injuries."

Photo By Getty

Here's a no-brainer: Make sure your kids are getting a full night's sleep and are eating healthy. No skipped meals, Gomez says.

Parents should pay attention when their kids talk about pain and teach children to listen to their own bodies.

Photo By Getty

Good coaching is important to kids' safety, but parents should also be proactive and ready to ask questions about their children's activities, Gomez says.

Gomez says there is one excercise he always recommends for kids - playing. "I'm a big believer in free play," he said. "I think children's activities are too regimented nowadays."

The beginning of the school year also means the start of new sports' season for many children. For parents, that means the fear of potential sport-related injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2.6 million children ages 19 and younger are treated each year in emergency rooms for sports and recreation-related injuries. Dr. Jorge Gomez, a sports medicine specialist at Texas Children's Hospital, recently spoke with Houston Chronicle reporter Anita Hassan about what parents should know about youth sports injuries and ways to prevent them. The following are excerpts:

Q: What are some of the most common injuries you treat in youth sports?

A: In my practice, I see a lot of overuse knee sprains, a lot of ankle sprains. Other overuse injuries like shin splints and stress fractures in the lower leg. In the younger kids, we'll see a lot of growth plate injuries in the knee and in the ankle as well as seeing some back injuries. In the young throwers, especially this time of year, we see a lot of shoulder and elbow problems.

Q: Could you explain overuse injuries and when they occur?

A: Overuse basically means that the individual's ability to adapt to the physical stress is being exceeded. Basically what you have is a situation where tendons and ligaments basically start to wear out because of the amount of stress from the exercise and the body is not able to keep up with its repair process. So if someone is in really good shape, the amount of stress that will cause an overuse injury will be a lot greater than in someone who's not in very good condition. We start seeing overuse injuries even in the elementary school age years and they can occur with just about any sport that involves repetitive activity. But we definitely see them more as kids get older and get into their teenage years and start pushing themselves more.

Q: How can a parent tell if their child has suffered an overuse injury?

A: It shouldn't hurt to play sports. Kids shouldn't have pain, especially pain with movement, for more than a week or so. If it lasts more than a week, then there is usually a problem. Now the problem may be relatively minor, but you can't say that the pain lasting more than a week is normal.

Q: Does it benefit children and teens playing sports to take at least one season off during the school year to avoid overuse injuries?

A: This is something that I speak to a lot of parents about. What I tell them is that sports organizations from the International Olympic Committee to the American College of Sports Medicine all officially say that it is bad idea for children to play organized sports all year around. If you look at big league ball players, they all take a couple of months off a year from the thing that they do primarily. It just makes sense for young people to do the same. It makes no sense for someone to do the same thing over and over again, year round, without a break. That's when we start seeing injuries.

Q: What other steps should parents take to help their children avoid injuries while playing sports?

A: As I said before, parents should not let them participate in sports on a 12-month basis, just give them a break. Then just really basic stuff. Make sure they get eight to 10 hours of sleep every night, make sure they eat breakfast every morning and that they don't skip meals. Then just kind of listen to your child and encourage the child to listen to their own body. If something hurts, that's usually not normal and probably needs to be looked at. The most important thing is good coaching. Most youth sports coaches mean well, but it's important for parents to be proactive. If they have questions about what the coach is having their child do for conditioning or strengthening, then they should ask.

Q: Are there any exercises you would recommend to help prevent injuries?

A: There is one exercise that I highly recommend and that is playing. I'm a big believer in free play. I think children's activities are too regimented now a days. I think children should be encouraged to spend time outside, playing ball, running, riding their bikes and playing tag. Just doing fun things and getting a big workout doing that. We tend to undervalue free play not only for its ability to condition young kids, but also for all the other social and development benefits that come along with it.